Stand Corrected: My Hiking Adventure in the Porqupine Mountains

By Diane Deal

This story started out as a reminder of the hike my family and I had shared. From the first night out away from all the noise of the day to day life to the hour to hour frustration of the insects who invaded our lives. Between the beauty of the waterfalls and our ability to share the lives of the creatures who resided there, to the situations each of us were placed in for example mud holes and roots that covered the ground in every size and shape, I believe the entire family was able to find a peace and closeness that had been missing for a while. I hope that everyone that reads this book will find out what I have. There is nothing like spending a few days out in the wilderness with the ability to find solace and an understanding of just how important it is to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us every day within every inch of nature contained within our borders. Along with that fact please take the time to show your family just how important they are. This was the main reason I decided to go on this hike. Good or bad it was one of the best vacations I had ever taken. I hope each person enjoys reading this story as much as I did actually partaking in it. Enjoy

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 16, 2011
• ISBN: 9781467044943

Diane Deal

I was born in the Midwest. I have always had a passion for writing,everything from poems to short stories. I am married with three children and four grandchildren. Although my family is numher one I find much enjoyment in sharing my works with anyone who loves to read.

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© 2011 by Diane Deal. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 10/27/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4670-4492-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4670-4493-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4670-4494-3 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011917782

Printed in the United States of America

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Chapter I

Porcupine Mountains Here

We Come

Chapter II

Say Hello to the Little Carp River

Chapter III

Military Bug-Out

Chapter IV

Freddie Revisited

Chapter V

Correction Line Trail… The Trail from Hell

Chapter VI

The Way Out

Chapter VII

Stand Corrected

Chapter VIII

Next Stop Asphalt

Chapter IX

Goodbye nature, Hello civilization

Chapter X

The End of the Journey

Chapter XI

Finally Home

Epilogue

I dedicate this book to my two mothers. Lois was my mother. She was always in my corner and appreciated my writing abilities. She even tried to publish one of my poems while I was in high school. Continually she reminded me I needed to keep on writing because one day I would be an author, and here I am. Lillian was Ron’s mom. She was always encouraging me to put my words down on paper and for that I thank and love her very much. On top of all of those facts I have to say without their love of family and especially their husbands this wonderful adventure would have never taken place. I love you both very much.

There is one more person I have to acknowledge in correlation with this my first publication. Posthumously I have to give the thanks to my high school English teacher, Mrs. Elizabeth Knowles. Throughout the years I was privileged to have her for an instructor, Mrs. Knowles let me know that I had a writer’s gift. Maybe it was the fact that I loved writing and English so much that I memorized the entire story of Romeo and Juliet. I enjoyed all the stories and poems I wrote as a teenager. I guess everyone who is and was important to me knew how much of my life was filled with thoughts and ideas that would soon enough find their way on to paper.

Someday you will be an author and make me proud. I remember her telling me. I heard the same words from each of the people I have mentioned. I am honored to recognize within this dedication. I only hope all of you will remember just how important you are to me. Because of your belief in me I am about embark as the author of this book. Thank You So Much.

Diane

Throughout my life the idea of walking outdoors was a concept that included only walking behind my house approximately 500 yards away to my best friend’s house. My best friend and I played in the yard just long enough to get thirsty and go indoors for a glass of milk and two or three cookies. As you could imagine I was a bit of a chunk as a child. While in high school I wanted to be able to be in sports. I was one of those students that had been given the gift of two left feet. The only sports program that ever considered me was track. It didn’t take long for both my coach and I to realize I stunk not only at basketball and softball but track was never going to be my lifelong dream either. Because the coach and I agreed, I spent most of my time trying to run the ten second sprint in at least nineteen. It didn’t take the coach long to realize how bad I was at sprinting. With that fact known I was blessed with throwing the shot-put. The shot put’s only use, in my opinion was that of a door stop but what did I know at fifteen. Just Sayin’. Let’s face it the idea of doing anything outdoors that involved my feet was never a strong interest for me.

The years flew by fast and I met my husband. Right out of that gate I knew he loved to go on walks and especially hiking. Ron spent many a day asking me to come along with him. The first couple of times Ron inquired that I join him I resisted because the children were fairly young and needed their mother. Yea I know it was an awful excuse, but I am sure Ron understood how I felt about placing a heavy backpack on my back and walking as far as a person could from any kind of civilization. I loved the idea that Ron had found a wonderful release from his day to day tensions. He deserved it. But hiking at that time in my life was not my cup of let’s say warm lake water.

Our children grew up and became more and more independent; I began to really listen to what had really happened while Ron was hiking with his boys and our oldest girl. There was even one trip he took the hike by himself. As I heard about the falls that he had been able to observe I took the time to imagine the beauty of what must have been right there in front of him. There were times Ron would be telling me all the details of the hike when our youngest would run through the house yelling or the dog or cat would need immediate attention. I found myself becoming jealous of the time he had shared with Mother Nature. I wanted and sometimes really needed to have moments just like that. Soon the thoughts of worry considering the weight of the back pack and the many miles these out of shape legs would have to travel began to be replaced with a silent excitement of sharing a glorious hike with any and all of my family members planning on going on it.

Three years ago I found myself listening very closely to Brad and Ron as they began to set up the hike that would begin in three months. As I listened I imagined the opportunities there could be to see a waterfall that covered the whole left side of the bank. I could picture the water cascading downward plunging into the forever waiting body of cool clear water next to our feet. More than once Ron mentioned he how much fun I would have if I were to go along. I brought up how heavy the pack could be and he would reply with the willingness to carry it along with his on his back. Just like when a light bulb that goes off when an idea has been realized, I finally knew that there was going to be a family hike in my near future.

As we embarked toward Minnesota where Misty and Dan would join up with Brad and Ron, I felt a tingle in my belly just as if it were Christmas Eve. I knew for sure that this would be a very difficult time for me but finally I placed my needs behind the needs of my children and dear husband. From the moment we started the hike I became accustom to the amazing surprises and unforgettable moments that filled up every moment of my very first hiking trip with my beloved family. Sure there were times I felt the need to just drop my pack (I really carried my pack by myself) just sayin’. This first time hiker found that small foot placements along with roots that reached up toward the sky tripped me more than once and the utter fatigue the filled my body every night. To my surprise I came to the conclusion that even though my first hike was one sent from Hades (at times) I had never had so much fun. I had never felt so close to my family. It was a joy to no longer just sit and listen to what had happened in the last four days. I had become part of the adventure able to put my two cents worth during the conversation.

When are going to set up the next hike? was heard by all. The remarkable thing was that it came out of my mouth. I was hooked. I winked at my husband and he knew this would forever more be a trip we would both be sharing. Truly, aren’t those the best kind?

As I sit in my living room in my comfortable chair I remember the last four days out in the Porcupine Mountains. It was supposed to be an easy family hiking trip; someone forgot to tell us about the insects that call that place home. There was the weather that was supposed to be in the 60’s, during the hike, in the 80’s right here, right now and there was the third day three hour hike from Hell. Finally the entire party traveled in record speed on the last hike to the car. Good times, Good times.

The night before the hike my husband Ron, daughter Misty, her husband Dan, our son Brad and I sat in the middle of my daughter’s living room packing for the trip. There is always the weight issue, because all hikers know, the lighter the better. We had things all over the floor and each one of us working on our third time to redo the pack. I had never seen so much Crispy bars, trail mix, and jerky, which I only had two pieces of on the last hike. The smell alone is enough to make me nauseas. Trail mix is my favorite, until the end of the hike as all hikers know. Lying on the floor were all of the necessary staples to keep us strong and nurtured throughout the next four days. One by one each item was carefully place into the back pack waiting only for the moment it would be pulled back out as to sustain the carrier of the pack. Face it that was what all this packaged food was in there for.

The first day of the hike came quick and early the next morning. We got our two youngest granddaughters off to school. Within an hour all five back packs had been placed in the back of the SUV. Along with the packs there were four sets of walking poles that lay atop the packs. There were four sets because I saw that walking poles as one more thing I had to try to hold onto as a way to decrease the chance of finding my body plunging toward the ground because of tripping over a large root or quick change in direction on the path we were following. After the automatic checks needed to make sure everything needed for our hike was in the SUV was done all five of us found a comfortable seat to call their own until we arrived at our destination. That is when we headed toward the hiking trip of our lives. We stopped on the way to the Porcupine Mountains to eat real food. We knew that in less than 5 hours we would be living on only the food we packed for the next four days. We stopped at a Culver’s and thoroughly enjoyed every bite we ate. With each taste of the grease that filled our hamburgers came a moment of